An inconvenient situation
by LadyThompson
Summary: Based on a dream I had. Folken and Dirandau have to get married. Could be considered yaoi[for obvious reasons], but I don't think it is.[No romance between them.] {{Ch. 3 is up. Very short.}}
1. Default Chapter

{{ This fic is based completely on a dream that I had. The only things that have been changed are the little parts that I forgot, and had to improvise with.  
  
That, and the reason for the premise of this dream to exist wasn't very clear…so, I tried to make it more understandable.  
  
[But that may be a lost cause…]  
  
I hope no one thinks I'm weird for doing this, and I also hope that people don't keep this in mind while reading my other stuff. }}  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dirandau glared up at Folken. Folken had asked him to sit down before hearing the news. Dirandau always seemed to receive things better when he was sitting down.  
  
  
  
"You're kidding…." Dirandau stated, disbelieving.  
  
"No. Believe me, I've checked over the news many times already. I'm not joking."  
  
Folken held out a paper, and Dirandau ripped it away. He looked it over several times.  
  
No, there could be no mistake.  
  
  
  
Folken counted in his head. 1...2.…3.…  
  
"I am not going to marry you!!!"  
  
Dirandau's exclamation was right on cue.  
  
"I'm sorry, Dirandau. There's no way of getting around this."  
  
  
  
It may have seemed absolutely ludicrous, but this sort of thing was not all that uncommon in Zaibach.  
  
Especially with officers.  
  
For one thing, it helped to instill fear in the lower orders. Dealing with one person's wrath was bad enough, but it was a terrible prospect to know that they would have two commanding officers to deal with, if theirs got angry enough.  
  
And, for another reason, Zaibach did not have unlimited space. Even with having all the lower orders sleeping close together in barracks, the size problem was still deeply felt. Most officers had large, spacious rooms. This kind of decree meant that they could free up one of the quarters, since the two officers would have to share a room. [And Dirandau's room was indeed spacious.]  
  
And then there was the question of how much trouble Dirandau was always getting into. They felt it would be much easier to keep him from doing too much damage, if he didn't have that freedom. And, who else knew how to keep him in line better than Folken?  
  
  
  
  
  
Dirandau spent the rest of the day absolutely mortified. He loved his country, but….this was too much!  
  
He couldn't stand the time he had to spend with Folken now. How was he going to deal with living with him?  
  
  
  
There was something else, too. Marriage ceremonies are simple and business-like in Zaibach, nowhere near the absurdly ostentatious ceremonies performed in other countries. It was more like a contract of some kind. However, there still was that kiss required at the end…in front of everyone.  
  
  
  
His Dragonslayers, of course, were terribly worried for him.  
  
They all stared at Shesta, hoping he would maybe say something to their beloved captain. Shesta stared back, wishing he could think of something.   
  
But…well, what can a person say to somebody else in this kind of situation?  
  
  
  
He slowly approached Dirandau.  
  
Timidly, he began. "Dirandau-sama….I….I…don't think it'll be that bad…I mean..if you just…just look at the bright side of things-"  
  
Dirandau had his head leaned against his hand. He didn't look up. But, they didn't have to see his face to know what he was thinking. His voice was enough.  
  
"Oh, that's what you think, is it?"  
  
Shesta nodded, hesitantly. He was tense. He knew something bad was going to happen.  
  
"You think it won't be that bad…huh?" Dirandau repeated.  
  
Shesta nodded once again.  
  
  
  
Dirandau stood up, and approached Shesta.  
  
"And, what, precisely, is 'the bright side' of this situation?" he asked.  
  
Shesta hadn't been prepared for that. "Well, I….uh…."  
  
He couldn't entertain this farce any further. In truth, he really couldn't see anything good about this.  
  
  
  
Dirandau narrowed his eyes at Shesta.  
  
"So…you're telling me I'm wrong….and you have no reasons why?"  
  
He moved closer. All the other Dragonslayers became tense. They knew what to expect next.  
  
"You idiot."  
  
He smacked Shesta upside the head, and slammed him to the ground. He managed to sprain Shesta's wrist.  
  
He planned to do even more damage, but someone interrupted.  
  
  
  
Gatty had just come back, with an urgent message from Folken.  
  
Gatty: "He says you have to come see him right away."  
  
Dirandau glared at him, his hands wrapped around Shesta's throat.  
  
"How dare Folken!", he thought, "Rrrr…if that idiot thinks I'm going to come every time he calls for me now…."  
  
  
  
He slammed Shesta back down onto the ground.  
  
"You'd better think the next time you get any bright ideas."  
  
Shesta managed to get up to his knees, and say, "Yes sir."  
  
  
  
They all stood at attention until Dirandau left. Then they went to help Shesta.  
  
Gatty inspected his wrist.  
  
He tried to sound compassionate. "It's not too bad…but, you'll have to go see a doctor."  
  
Shesta nodded, and rubbed his injury.  
  
"I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. I don't think it helps him at all," he stated uncertainly.  
  
It was always a confusing thing, working with one such as Dirandau. There was never any set pattern to follow, and it was always difficult to discern what was right to do for him.  
  
Gatty shook his head 'no.'  
  
"No, Shesta…don't quit. He still needs you, just like he needs all of us. He just can't help himself, that's all."  
  
Gatty helped Shesta up, and smirked. "Besides….you wouldn't want to deprive those pretty nurses of your frequent visits, would you??"  
  
Shesta laughed, despite the pain.  
  
"I guess not. But, I'm certain that he would've killed me if you hadn't come in. What did Strategos want to say to him, anyway?"  
  
Gatty blushed.  
  
"Well..uh….he didn't exactly want to talk to Dirandau-sama."  
  
Shesta blinked.  
  
Gatty looked a little mischievous, though definitely not proud.  
  
He began to explain.  
  
"I figured out a long time ago that Dirandau-sama never mentions the fact that Strategos sent for him when they talk. And, even if Strategos didn't ask for Dirandau-sama to come, there's always something that the two need to talk about anyway. So…there's no reason for them to know that about half the times I've given Dirandau-sama a message from Strategos, it was a lie."  
  
Shesta looked completely shocked.  
  
"What? Why would you do that??"  
  
Gatty sighed.  
  
"Because, I know he's wrong sometimes. I can't stand that we get hurt so much by him…it's not right…And, so….I just wait outside in the hall sometimes, waiting to hear if he is getting angry. That way, I have an excuse to walk in at the right moment."  
  
  
  
Gatty avoided the rest of their eyes as he and Shesta headed for the infirmary. He knew how awful it was that he did what he had just admitted to doing…but, he couldn't stand to see the rest of his companions being beaten up like that. Especially Shesta. Those two were the only others who were able to at least try and say something to Dirandau-sama.  
  
He cared about his Captain so much, but he cared about Shesta and the others as well. And it was so senseless at times, these beatings.  
  
This was a way to help stop it, which hurt no one.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dirandau slammed the door open. He was raging even more than before. He hadn't thought about it before…but, now with this new development, Folken would have more say in how he treated his Dragonslayers, because he would be partially in charge of them as well. And Folken had always disliked the fact that he hit them so much.  
  
But…they deserved it! They needed something to remind them that what they did was wrong, and to ensure that they would try their best not to do it anymore.  
  
"He's going to undermine my authority," he thought. "I just know it!"  
  
Dirandau sat down, not saying a word.  
  
"Oh, good," Folken stated. "You're here."  
  
Dirandau's eye twitched.  
  
Of course I'm here, you idiot! You're the one who sent for me!  
  
"I wanted to tell you something. I've had the ceremony set for the day after tomorrow, at 0300 hours."  
  
Dirandau blinked.  
  
Three in the morning? Is he crazy??  
  
"What the hell did you do that for?" he questioned with annoyance.  
  
"I thought it would be better for you," Folken replied.  
  
Dirandau rolled his eyes.  
  
"Great. Not only do I have to go through this damned charade, but I have to get up at three in the morning to do it. How could this possibly be good for me?"  
  
"Because, in case you had forgotten, Dirandau, there will be a crucible for the new recruits at that time, to let them advance to the next stage. Everyone else will be too busy to attend."  
  
Dirandau glared at him.  
  
"And so will I!" he exclaimed.  
  
Dirandau had been looking forward to helping out with that. Now he had to go through all this humiliation, and give up something he had been so looking forward to.  
  
Dirandau then began on one of those diatribes which he is so wont to have. Mostly about how much Folken was annoying him right now.  
  
He concluded with a statement which succinctly summarized his thoughts.   
  
"And, I can't believe I have to marry such an idiot. I mean….cripes….I can't stand the time we spend together now, how am I supposed to deal with you all the time??"  
  
That was it. That was too much for Folken. He had had enough.  
  
He approached Dirandau slowly.  
  
"How are you going to deal with it?" He inquired mockingly. "How am I going to deal with this, I wonder….Dirandau, have you ever listened to yourself?"  
  
Dirandau rolled his eyes. He never did like to hear anyone talk about his faults so blatantly.  
  
"I've been kind to you all these years," Folken continued. There is so much that you do which begs forgiveness, and I have forgiven you a great deal."  
  
Dirandau couldn't deal with being insulted like this. He had to interrupt.  
  
"You know-"  
  
However, Folken wouldn't contend with it.  
  
"Quiet!" he shouted. He sounded so angry, that Dirandau decided to comply.  
  
"Even with this situation, I have gone out of my way to make things easy for you. Standing here listening to you now, it occurs to me that I simply can't live this way. I can deal with you in small doses, and small doses only. So, in order to protect my sanity, there are going to have to be some changes."  
  
"What sort of….changes?" Dirandau inquired.  
  
  
  
"For one thing, you're not going to criticize me like this all the time. You keep your mouth shut. I don't want to hear you complaining all the time. I don't want to hear you ranting all the time. And, most of all, I don't want the kind of trouble you usually give me. You had better learn to behave yourself, and right-quick."  
  
  
  
Dirandau glared at him again.  
  
"Oh? And if I don't?"  
  
  
  
Folken became very quiet. "I know you quite well. I know what scares you. And, I know very well the things you wouldn't want me to do, that this situation would now allow. Do you understand my meaning?"  
  
  
  
Dirandau looked quite shocked. There was definitely some kind of double meaning there. "Huh?"  
  
  
  
Folken gripped Dirandau's arm very tightly….aya, it hurt! Dirandau feared that Folken might break his arm.  
  
"Just remember this: If you do anything wrong, you'll regret it."  
  
He released Dirandau's arm. Dirandau clutched it in pain.  
  
"Is that understood?"  
  
Dirandau nodded.  
  
Folken left without another word.  
  
  
  
Dirandau stared at the table in front of him. He was terrified. He had forgotten how much stronger Strategos was than himself…  
  
Folken would sometimes smack him a little, when he was younger, to try and make him obey, or when he had done something monumentally stupid. But, he had given up at some point, considering it a lost cause. If Dirandau were to make mistakes, then there was nothing that could be done about it. He was too old for that now.  
  
  
  
However, it wasn't just that. Being beaten, he could take that. He understood it. He had done it to others many times. Bruises and broken bones are all mended in time.  
  
But….what about what Folken said? That he knew what scared Dirandau?  
  
  
  
There were plenty of other things this situation would allow Folken to do to him, and one of them frightened him more than the others.   
  
And, Folken was a foreigner, after all. What about that old saying? "Foreigners are just rabbits in fancy clothing."  
  
What was he capable of doing?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As far as weddings go, this was far from a fiasco. It all went rather well, as far as weddings are concerned.  
  
However, that wasn't good enough. No matter how well it had gone, it was still the worst experience Dirandau had ever been forced to go through.  
  
That kiss did nothing to make matters better, either. Even though Folken was nice about it, and made it very mild….nothing lessened how Dirandau felt about it.  
  
Work was hellish after that. Dirandau was shaky and paranoid. He couldn't help but wonder what those around him were really thinking. They couldn't say anything to him even if they had wanted to, but that didn't mean that they weren't thinking about it.  
  
  
  
Above all things, Dirandau was afraid of losing the respect of the other soldiers. Especially his Dragonslayers.  
  
There were times when he wondered if they really did intend to serve him unquestioningly. Especially Gatty and Shesta. Those two were very prone to mouthing off, and Gatty had a habit of making faces at him. They were always together, always talking secretly. He feared that he couldn't trust them.  
  
The others were easier to control, thankfully. They were well adept at being silent, and doing exactly as they were told without asking any questions.  
  
Dirandau had wanted to avoid them for the day. He didn't know what he could say to them right now.  
  
However, Folken wouldn't allow him to get his way.   
  
"There is no point to not doing this now," Folken had said. "It won't be any easier in the future."  
  
And, besides, today they were only doing physical training. He wouldn't have to say much to them, and he could sit off to the side, silent and brooding if he so wished.  
  
Folken had wryly added, "Since when do you fear dealing with your own men?"  
  
  
  
Dirandau gave him one of those famous glares before going off to join the others.  
  
  
  
  
  
All day long, he dreaded that night. He and Folken would have to share quarters from now on, and tonight would be that first night. [Which really was a shame, considering how nice his old quarters were.] It was very difficult to work through the day.   
  
He tried not to let any of his thoughts interfere with his work, but his qualms could not be veiled. A person who is to be executed at dawn is never preoccupied with the job at hand.  
  
He was not the only one obvious in worries. The Dragonslayers kept stopping from time to time, sometimes looking at their master, and sometimes looking at Gatty and Shesta in the hope that those two might do something to help. Dirandau couldn't help but notice all this 'silent communication' going on between them.  
  
  
  
He approached them, and they immediately quit sparring to stand at attention. There were no words, only a deep hateful glare from Dirandau, and terrified looks from the others. If there had been any doubt in their mind that he might be more lenient than he had been in the past, that he would change even a little bit for the better because of this situation, then it was to be removed now.  
  
They stood like that for quite some time. Maybe an hour, maybe two. He'd let them wonder just what he would do to them; he'd allow them to recall those things he had grown used to doing, all those horrible methods meant to keep them disciplined and in control.  
  
  
  
When he felt that it had been long enough, he left without dismissing them. They stayed at attention for several minutes after he had left, for fear that he might come back. They began talking quietly, wondering what would become of them.  
  
Gatty was silent. He had plenty to talk about, but not with the others.   
  
He didn't care to talk about serious issues with any of the other Dragonslayers. They didn't really understand anything he tried to tell them.   
  
He only ever talked with Shesta about things that bothered him. However, Shesta wasn't there. Shesta would be doing other work until his arm completely healed.  
  
"I'll go and see him later," thought Gatty. "We'll figure something out."  
  
Dirandau had dreaded the night to come all through the day, and now it was here.  
  
"Don't worry. Don't worry," He repeated quietly. There was nothing to worry about, he tried to assure himself. After all, Folken….Folken wouldn't do anything to him, would he? Dirandau tried to drive Folken's threatening words from his mind.  
  
He was gladdened upon seeing that the room was empty.  
  
"Maybe I'll get lucky, and he'll stay out working all night," he thought. He didn't know Folken very well, but he got the feeling that Folken was a workaholic.  
  
He looked around the room. Not much there. A bed, a lantern, a desk. It was the bare minimum. Folken spent most of his time elsewhere, and so he didn't feel the need to stock the place up.   
  
However, there were a few extra things. Folken wasn't the friendliest of people, and often avoided everyone else when he could. So, his was one of the few places that had its own washroom.  
  
Dirandau took off the belt that held his sword, and laid it next to the bed.   
  
He felt that it was imperative to his survival to always have a weapon with him. He was afraid that someone might try to assassinate him someday, and he wanted to be ready. [Little did he know that there wasn't a soul brave enough to try, for any attempt on his life would ensure their unhappiness.]  
  
He then took off his coat. He really would rather have kept it on. However, that was not a good idea. Those things could get so uncomfortable if used for sleeping in that they would cause all sorts of back and circulation problems.  
  
He knew this from experience. When he had first received his uniform, he was so happy that he never wanted to take it off. He spent a week in the infirmary.  
  
He looked for a closet or a dresser, but he couldn't find one. Damnit! He didn't want his beautiful uniform to get ruined by throwing it on the floor. He laid it on the bed, and sat down. Now for the boots.  
  
He had always had a bit of trouble taking them off or putting them back on. He did it carefully and slowly, so as not to damage them or to hurt his leg. [He often used to get welts from that.]  
  
He managed to get one off, when Folken walked in from the direction of the washroom….wearing nothing but a pair of bright blue boxers. Dirandau stared at him in shock for a moment. This was definitely on his list of things he had never wanted to see.  
  
He grimaced.  
  
"Uggghh…Folken! Put some clothes on!" he yelled in disgust.  
  
Folken was not in the mood to comply.  
  
"Certainly I could, but there's no point. This is what I normally wear, and I see no point in enduring some pointless charade. We'll be living together for a very long time, and I would eventually go back to wearing this anyway, so…why bother?"  
  
Dirandau started on the other boot, mumbling to himself. It was then that Folken noticed the coat on the bed. He looked angrily at Dirandau, who was busy fumbling with those damned straps.  
  
"I don't know how you kept things in your quarters, but here I prefer to keep things in order. Don't ever do this again."  
  
Folken picked up the coat, and walked over to one of the walls. He hit a small hitch, and slid the wall panel over. Inside were several cloaks, uniforms, and some strange outfit Dirandau didn't recognize. It looked foreign. However, Dirandau wasn't interested enough to inquire about it.  
  
Dirandau finished with his boots, and laid them neatly next to his katana. All set for emergencies.  
  
Folken didn't share Dirandau's train of thought. He saw only that Dirandau was being stubborn and lazy.  
  
"Didn't I just tell you not to leave your things all over the place? Go put them in the closet."  
  
Dirandau glared at him. It angered him deeply that now there was nowhere for him to go where he had complete control. Why, oh why couldn't he have been forced to marry someone of lower rank?  
  
"Fine!" Dirandau shouted as he walked over to the closet.  
  
However, this compliance did not end the struggle. Folken saw the katana, which angered him more than the shoes.  
  
He tossed it lightly to Dirandau. It landed at his feet.  
  
"You forgot this," he said.  
  
"But….I need that," Dirandau replied.  
  
"So that you can kill me in my sleep? I don't think so."  
  
Dirandau rolled his eyes.  
  
"Idiot. You think I'd be stupid enough to kill you with my own sword? If I were going to, I'd use yours, and then it would seem like you had killed yourself."  
  
Folken sighed.  
  
"You do have a history of making rash choices purely to get revenge."  
  
Dirandau glared at him.   
  
"If he starts in on me about going after that idiot brother of his…..rrrrrrrrr…I really will kill him," Dirandau thought.  
  
Dirandau picked up the sword and tossed it back onto the bed.  
  
"I need to have it there."  
  
Folken threw it back. They played a short game of 'toss,' until fatigue overcame Folken. He was very tired from the day's work, and he didn't feel like prolonging this foolishness.  
  
He walked over to the closet, opened a drawer with a lock on it, and threw the katana inside. "I'll unlock it in the morning." With that, he walked back over to the bed and laid down. He soon fell asleep.  
  
Dirandau glowered at him for quite some time. He was too angry to move.  
  
"I can't deal with this, not all the time!" he thought, despairing.  
  
He looked at the boots sitting in the closet. They were his. He should be able to put them where ever he wanted to. He picked one of them up, and chucked it at Folken.  
  
Being smacked in the forehead by the heel of someone's boot was not a pleasant way to be woken up. Folken rubbed his forehead. Dirandau threw the other one at him, hitting the same mark.  
  
Smiling, he thought, "My aim is wonderful."  
  
His smile was strange in comparison to Folken's expression. A tired Strategos with a headache is not one to be taken lightly. He walked back over to the closet, and threw the boots in the drawer as well. He then grabbed a handful of Dirandau's hair, and threw him to the floor.  
  
"Go…to…sleep."  
  
Folken laid back down, and almost immediately fell into sleep.  
  
Dirandau curled up where he was. He was very tired, but couldn't sleep just yet. He had so many emotions flying through his head that he felt he might go mad. He began remember old times. He had curled up like this often. Folken could be so cruel sometimes.  
  
He finally either fell asleep or passed out from exhaustion.  
  
Gatty was thankful that he had often been told to relay messages to Folken. That meant that he would have no trouble finding Folken's quarters now.  
  
Dirandau was rarely late to start work. More often than not, he was early, and angry at the others for not being motivated enough to be there early as well.  
  
Which was why it caused such great concern for his Dragonslayers when four hours had gone by, and he still hadn't shown up.   
  
The lights were off when Gatty reached the room. He thought that no one was in there and would have left immediately, if not for a slight movement in the corner. He squinted, and could barely decipher the outline of his master, lying sprawled-out on the floor.  
  
"Aya!" Gatty exclaimed as he rushed over to him. Gatty kneeled down next to him, and picked up his hand to see if he still had a pulse. Dirandau narrowed his eyes at Gatty, and gripped that arm which had been so rude as to touch him.  
  
"What are you doing?" His words had the quality of a high-pitched tuning fork. He was almost hissing them, and they seared into the listener's head that same feeling of annoyance which Dirandau felt so heavily weighting down upon himself.  
  
"I came to find out why you were late, sir," he said, trying and failing to mask the concern he was feeling.  
  
What impudence! Coming to 'check' on his captain….what was that about? Was this soldier the master here? No. Gatty was not Dirandau's keeper, and he had no business doing anything like that with such a motive.  
  
Dirandau attempted to get up, to hit Gatty. However, his body had decided that this was an opportune time not to cooperate with him. He felt a shooting pain in all of his limbs, and fell back onto the floor. He felt as if all his bones were being ripped apart, and broken. He clutched his back in agony.  
  
Gatty knew better than to ask what was wrong. Dirandau would only get angry, and he wouldn't tell Gatty anything, anyway.   
  
"Forgive me, sir," Gatty said, a saddened look filling his eyes. Once again, there was nothing he could do to help his master. He had to keep all his thoughts to himself, and they would go to waste there. "Thank goodness for Shesta," he thought.  
  
Folken would need to know about this, and so he started to leave. But, then it occurred to him that the floor wasn't the best place for someone who was possibly injured to stay. The bed would be much more comfortable.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized in advance. No doubt, Dirandau would be much too angry with him after this to hear anything he had to say.  
  
Gatty didn't know how he had done it, but he had actually managed to drag Dirandau onto the bed. It was a feat to be remembered.  
  
Dirandau threw everything within reach at Gatty. He nearly knocked himself onto the floor with the force he was using to throw. When Gatty left, he could hear the sound of Dirandau's tiara plinking against the door.  
  
{{I hope everyone is enjoying this so far.  
  
There is only about one or two chapters left, unless I decide to continue on where the dream left off, which isn't likely.  
  
I'm not even sure if I'll be able to finish them, the way my memory is going, along with my lack of time. I'll probably just concentrate on "A Weapon of War" before I go to boot camp.  
  
And, I was going to do this in the update of "A Weapon of War," but I forgot.  
  
Through my searchings of the internet, I've found that any forums dedicated to Dirandau are dead, or barely being used at all.  
  
But now, there is one that is quite active, and I thought it would be a good idea to invite people from here to come visit. [Because I'm sure I'm not alone in not being able to find an active Dilly forum.]  
  
The link is:  
  
http://dilandau.proboards16.com/index.cgi  
  
Happy trails.}} 


	2. Chapter two

{{I'm going to reiterate right now that Folken has no feelings for Dirandau whatsoever in this fic, except those of annoyance. Please keep that in mind.}}  
  
It turned out that there was nothing much wrong with Dirandau…at least, nothing that they didn't already know about. He had only hurt his back, sleeping on that hard floor. He spent awhile in the infirmary, with one of Zaibach's chiropractors. [Who happened to be one of the most annoying prigs in the world.]  
  
He was fine the next day, and ready for work.  
  
.  
  
Gatty had not much luck with him that day.  
  
The Dragonslayers would be evaluated by Dirandau's superiors soon, and they had to prepare for that. He couldn't leave to go take care of messages, or for any other reason. And there was nothing that could possibly invite the chance of abuse from Dirandau like preparing for inspection.  
  
.  
  
The others got away with a great deal in regards to their mistakes. A failed lunge or a slip of the foot went completely unnoticed by their Lord today.  
  
As for poor Gatty….  
  
.  
  
"That is not how you hold a sword!" Dirandau exclaimed.  
  
Dirandau whacked him upside the head. Gatty winced, and attempted to correct his grip, only to find that there was nothing more he could do. His grip was as perfect as one any soldier could possibly be expected to have. He was in for a lot of punishment, no matter what he tried to do.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau didn't mention what it was that Gatty was doing wrong, as he normally would have. There was nothing to say. Gatty knew this. Gatty knew that Dirandau was being spiteful. It galled him much, being punished for things he hadn't done, but he couldn't point it out to Dirandau.  
  
Dirandau would never listen to that. It would only serve to make Dirandau unhappy, and make his own punishments worse.  
  
.  
  
The others stopped what they were doing, and watched the commotion. They weren't sure how they felt about this now. Certainly, Gatty was one of them, and they should feel badly for him. But, after what he had admitted to…why, that was betrayal to their Lord! They might have told Dirandau about that, but it would have hurt him too much to know that his second-in-command had been doing this for so long.  
  
Now that they knew, if he ever did it again, he would have to answer to them. And they wouldn't be the least bit lenient.  
  
.  
  
Gatty sighed. "Nobody will ever come to help you," he thought.   
  
No one would ever go so far out of their way to do anything for him as he did for everyone else. He always did his best to try and help Dirandau, and all he ever got for it was abuse. He had been doing everything he could to help his fellow Dragonslayers, and all they would do in return was shun him. All he had done for the Zaibach army was overshadowed. He was only one of a group…the group was recognized for it, and Dirandau got the credit.  
  
Glory didn't matter to him, but it would have been nice if they would only notice what he was doing…if they would only stop treating him like this.  
  
Only Shesta bothered to notice. However, Shesta was in the same situation, and so it did not help matters.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau beat him until he couldn't stand up anymore. That was a difficult feat to accomplish. Gatty never backed down from any threat, unless he hadn't the strength to stand anymore.  
  
Dirandau kneeled down next to him. He spoke slowly…softly…and yet still the hatred in his voice was well understood. He never sounded kind. He was not one who looked peaceful or 'cute' in sleep. He was always the same, having only two extremes to switch back and forth from: Complete happiness, or deep, burning hatred.  
  
.  
  
"Don't dare to overstep your bounds again the way you did last night. Your place is in the training room, or the barracks, but never in an officer's quarters."  
  
It was doubtful whether or not Gatty heard anything. He was most likely unconscious at the time.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau left, to go take care of some other matter.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
The other Dragonslayers crowded around Gatty, indecisive about what to do with him. They could take him to the infirmary. It wouldn't be difficult to lift just one man, when there were so many to help.  
  
But….maybe that was too good for him?  
  
Did he deserve such kindness? He seemed to want to take over the Dragonslayers. If he wanted that, then he'd have to prove he was strong enough to take care of himself as well as everyone else. If he wanted to be so uppity, he'd have to pay the price.  
  
.  
  
Not only that, but Dirandau might not be too happy with them helping him, either. After all, he was responsible for Gatty being beaten senseless. Maybe he had wanted Gatty left there.  
  
.  
  
They deliberated for a few minutes, and finally decided to take care of him. He was one of their own, after all.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Another day had passed. It was a little easier than the first. At least now, he didn't have to fear what was to happen. He knew what it was, and therefore didn't have to concentrate on anything that wouldn't happen.   
  
He made sure to put his things away 'properly.' He didn't want to risk another night on the floor like that. His back still hurt a great deal, and it would take awhile to get over that.  
  
The lack of sleep from the night before, coupled with his mental exhaustion, caused him to quickly collapse into a state of sleep.   
  
.  
  
Folken was a bit unhappy when he finally finished his day to find Dirandau sprawled out on his side of the bed.  
  
He gently pushed the boy aside, so as not to wake him, and fell asleep just as quickly as Dirandau had.  
  
.  
  
No one in Zaibach ever fell asleep slowly. It was always a quick passing from the waking to the dreaming. That exists only in situations where a person's capabilities have been taxed beyond what is acceptable. To fall asleep that fast is to be truly exhausted, and in need of at least two week's worth of rest, not just one night. In that state, such a small amount of rest did precious little to help a person.  
  
Sometimes it didn't even seem worth the trouble to lie down…  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Folken looked around Fanelia's royal gardens. He remembered, they were always so beautiful. He could always take respite in them.  
  
But, this time, they were not green. They were dusty, dull, and brown. Ragged plants hung like the skin of a man long dead where luscious vines once hung. And his poor brother…he was trying his best to take care of this garden. It was too much work for little Van. Those plants…they grew, and grew, but always remained in a death-like state, always crumbling and brown. Van tried desperately to fight them back, but they kept coming. It was too much for him. They overcame him. He could not fight against them anymore. And the vines swallowed him up, to be a part of that horrid foliage, the shadow of which covered all of Gaea.  
  
.  
  
He opened his eyes.  
  
"Just a dream," he thought.   
  
He tried to get up off the bed, but something was trying to hold him down. He looked down, and saw that Dirandau was…hugging him? Folken raised an eyebrow.  
  
He tried to push Dirandau over to the other side of the bed, without waking him up. But, it was impossible. Dirandau wouldn't let go, not for anything.  
  
.  
  
Folken tapped him lightly on the head.  
  
There was no response.  
  
.  
  
Folken then decided that there wasn't time for this, and whapped Dirandau on the back of the head.   
  
"Aya!!!" Dirandau yelled in startled surprise. In confusion, he reached for his sword. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and what was going on.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau blinked. Why was he….aggggh!  
  
He crawled to his side of the bed, thoroughly embarrassed. "I thought I had stopped doing that…" he said quietly to himself.  
  
"What was all that about?" Folken asked, very much puzzled.  
  
"N..nothing…" he replied, hoping that Folken wouldn't be very interested.  
  
Folken wasn't so easily fobbed-off.  
  
"If you don't tell me, then I'll just have to come to the conclusion that you like me," he said with a smirk.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau glared at Folken. Nothing could have annoyed him more at the moment than to hear that.  
  
"Alright, alright! It's…well, it's a habit that I've always had…since I was young…I don't know why."  
  
He was obviously very ashamed of himself, and loath to admit this terrible fact. He despised any situation which involved him not having control.  
  
.  
  
"It's not on your record," Folken said.  
  
"I bribed them to take it off!" Dirandau exclaimed. "You don't think I'd let anyone else know about this if I could help it, do you??"  
  
"Then that would explain why you'd rather have your own quarters than with your men."  
  
.  
  
Dirandau turned pale, remembering an expedition the Dragonslayers had taken a long time ago. There was no chance of them getting back to their training center anytime soon, and so they had to spend the night outside. It was rather cold, so they were all crowded around a few small campfires. Dirandau, not feeling in the least bit cold, had slept away from the group, in order to escape the warmth of the fire.   
  
The others were shocked, upon waking in the morning, to see their commander with his arms around Dalet.   
  
Of course, they tried their best to pretend as if everything was normal. And Dalet really hadn't seemed to mind.  
  
.  
  
"Yes, that's why," Dirandau replied curtly. He curled up, pretending to have fallen asleep again, so that Folken would leave.  
  
.  
  
He had a few hours left until he had to get up for work, and he spent them thinking about horrible things.   
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Gatty stared at the clock.  
  
Five more minutes.  
  
.  
  
His legs were fairly well damaged. There was no telling when he'd be able to use them again. There was even some slight chance that he might not be able to walk again. All because he had tried to help Dirandau.  
  
It galled him to no end. Really…what was the point of keeping such silence? If he was to be hit and beaten like this when he did was he was supposed to, then how much worse would punishment for speaking out be?  
  
"Much worse," he thought, grimacing.  
  
There was no telling what Dirandau would do if he became angry enough.  
  
.  
  
The clock struck the hour.   
  
"Where is he?" Gatty wondered aloud. "He's never late for anything…"  
  
A look of sadness came over his face.  
  
"Maybe he's not coming, after all. Maybe he's siding with the others….Maybe…aya!"  
  
Now he was being paranoid. He didn't want to be unreasonably distrustful of those he depended on. Otherwise, he might start acting like…  
  
.  
  
Shesta came in, a huge pile of papers in his arms. He set them down on the floor, being careful not to knock them over. It had taken him several hours to organize those, and it would take several hours more to fill them out..  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Requisition forms…what a pain…." He said. "You're lucky you get to stay here all day and do nothing, instead of all that work."  
  
.  
  
Office-workers were always overloaded with work. Any chance they had of getting rid of some of it was taken advantage of. That was why Shesta had been given a months' worth of various forms to take care of, when he was only to be working there for a week or two. He couldn't complain about it, and he wouldn't be there long enough to plot revenge against the shirkers.  
  
.  
  
Shesta sat down on the side of the bed.  
  
"So….I see you got yourself in a bit of trouble. What happened?"  
  
Gatty shut his eyes.  
  
"You know what trouble it is, Shesta. The same thing as always. Dirandau was angry about something, and took it out on me."  
  
Shesta averted his eyes, silent. He wasn't good at this. He couldn't help Gatty feel better, not with this injustice, which was always occuring. And, if he said that he felt badly for Gatty, it wouldn't matter. He'd said it so many times before that it lost it's meaning.  
  
.  
  
Gatty didn't like the silence. He needed to talk, and to hear talking, if only to keep his thoughts from echoing so loudly in his mind.  
  
"How's your arm doing?"  
  
"It's much better. It'll be just fine soon," replied Shesta. His arm ached and burned every time he moved it, and it would always hurt for the rest of his life. Gatty knew that Shesta was hiding some such fact, but didn't delve any further.  
  
.  
  
"He shouldn't have done this to you. You treat him with more respect than he should expect at times...he shouldn't have done this," Shesta stated. He knew it was pointless to admit, but it made them feel better to hear it said outside of their own heads.  
  
Gatty nodded in agreement.  
  
"He doesn't understand what he's doing. Not to others, and not to himself. And worst of all, no one will stop him. Not even Folken will try to!  
  
That never made sense to me….why is it Folken lets him get away with so much? It doesn't help matters, and there is no good that will come of it. Never anything good…just broken limbs and shattered spirits."  
  
Gatty sounded morose and depressed. All these things that had been mounting up were starting to get to him.  
  
Shesta looked at him sadly. Gatty shouldn't have to feel this way. It was pointless. So utterly pointless…  
  
.  
  
His face took on a determined expression.  
  
"We will do something about this. We will."  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
A week passed. It wasn't so very bad, considering all those annoying habits of Folken's.  
  
About the only out-of-the-ordinary bad thing that happened to him was his run-in with Nariya and Eriya. They were just a tad jealous of him, to say the least.  
  
.  
  
"One so disrespectful to our Folken-sama has no right to marry him!!" Nariya had shouted as she ran at him, followed closely by Eriya.  
  
Dirandau put up a good fight, but two jealous cat-girl soldiers are not easily dealt with. He was nearly clawed to death before they were called away to do something else.  
  
Thankfully, they did not have time to do much to him.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Without Gatty or Shesta there to give Dirandau grief, things went very smoothly.  
  
Sometimes he wondered why he didn't just kick them out.  
  
After all, he could do just as well without them. Today, the others were going out on a mission. It was going well, even with the absence of those two damned usurpers.  
  
.  
  
He stood on the bridge, watching, smirking. Cripes, they were good at their jobs! They had already taken two cities, and this was only the beginning of the day. His pride in them was well placed.  
  
He gave the order to go after a small country nearby. It was weak and defenseless. It would be easy to take down.  
  
However, Folken didn't share his vision.  
  
"We don't need that country. Leave it alone," he said over the intercom.   
  
.  
  
Dirandau glared at him. The only reason Folken was ever supposed to use the intercom system in regards to the Dragonslayers was when Dirandau was there with them. This was obviously meant to undermine his authority.  
  
"Just because we don't need it doesn't mean that we shouldn't take it," Dirandau said indignantly. "Everyone continue on their way." He turned the intercom off  
  
.  
  
Folken flipped the intercom switch back on. The way he moved his hand showed hints of annoyance.  
  
"Disregard that last order, and veer to the right. You're needed elsewhere."  
  
.  
  
There followed this a slew of contradicting orders. The Dragonslayers parked their guymelefs out of site, to wait for their commanders to make up their minds. They placed bets on how long the two could keep this up.  
  
.  
  
After about the twelfth order Dirandau had retaliated against, Folken had had enough.  
  
"This is pointless," he said, trying and failing to maintain an air of calm. He gave his orders one more time, and flipped the switch off.  
  
"Don't touch it again. That's the only warning I'm going to give you."  
  
.  
  
Dirandau laid his hand over the switch.  
  
"Touched it. Now what are you going to do?" he said, smirking.  
  
.  
  
Folken glared at him. That foolish boy...why couldn't he learn to leave well enough alone?  
  
.  
  
Dirandau lazily dragged his fingers back and forth across the switch.  
  
"I don't see why you give a damn about that country anyway. It's so little...so small...so defenseless."  
  
There was a look of hunger in his eyes when he said the word 'defenseless.' There was something about anything being powerless and frail that made him want to kill it.  
  
"Did you betray it too? You seem to have a habit of sympathizing with countries you deceive."  
  
.  
  
"You've no idea what the word 'betrayal' really means. By your definition, you betray your own country every day, when you disregard an order," said Folken.  
  
"I only disregard orders made by those who would betray Zaibach," replied Dirandau.  
  
"You betray yourself with idiotic talk."  
  
Folken was unharmed by Dirandau's insinuation that he was a traitor to Zaibach. He had heard the insult so much that it didn't matter to him anymore if he heard it now.   
  
His non-reaction infuriated Dirandau all the more. So much that he couldn't continue calmly discussing this subject.  
  
.  
  
"RrrrRRRR! I hate you so much!! Why do you have to be so damned annoying???"  
  
"Try asking yourself that question once in awhile," Folken replied coldly. "And, while we're on the subject of annoyance…you need to stop practicing in my room. There are at least fourteen gashes in my wall already."  
  
"Well, you need to get your idiot cat-girls to stay away from me. I can't be worried about them attacking me when I'm busy trying to plan out a war."  
  
"Oh, you're the only one planning out this whole war all by yourself, eh? You'd better grow up first before you take on such a responsibility."  
  
"You need to stop whistling all the time!"  
  
"You need to stop whining all the time."  
  
.  
  
Everyone in the control room was staring at them. They were causing quite the scene, which was a perfect excuse for everyone to take a break from work. After all, these two were the highest ranking officials on the bridge. Who was going to report to them at this moment to say that someone was loafing off?  
  
.  
  
"I'm going to report you to Dornkirk-sama! He'd want to know what an idiot his Strategos is."  
  
"Go ahead," Folken said.  
  
He smirked.  
  
" Do you think he'll be able to hear you when you've got your face on the floor?" he added sardonically.  
  
Dirandau narrowed his eyes at Folken.  
  
"There is nothing wrong with being a patriot. Not that I'd expect you to understand that….traitor."  
  
"And there's nothing wrong with you doing your job, but you go so far overboard that it's causing severe problems."  
  
.  
  
Dirandau rolled his eyes.  
  
"Don't start talking about-"  
  
"You don't need to spend the rest of your life plotting revenge against just one person who won't be giving us much trouble."  
  
Dirandau clenched his fists.  
  
"Again with this prattle about your "poor little defenseless brother"? I hate hearing about him all the time. Cripes, you even talk about him in your sleep!"  
  
"So? You do the same thing."  
  
The two glared at each other for a moment.  
  
.  
  
"I don't even know why I'm discussing this with you. You should be elsewhere…for instance, the medical ward. I want you to apologize to Gatty, and tell him that you were wrong."  
  
"A…apologize?" He said, as if the word sounded foreign to him. "I've never done that, and I don't intend to start now. He deserved what he got, and he can spend this time contemplating his wrongdoing. And, besides, he's one of my men. I'm in charge of them, not you. You're just assisting me. Don't you dare give me anymore orders like that!"  
  
.  
  
Feeling completely justified in his actions, Dirandau flipped the switch back on. He told the Dragonslayers to go after the little country, as he had originally instructed. They hesitated for a few minutes, and then left to carry out those orders.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau smirked, feeling as though he had won. It was now that he noticed that everyone had stopped working to watch them.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? Get back to-"  
  
He would have continued, but he felt something gripped around his arm, nearly crushing it. It was Folken's hand. Dirandau stared at him, now very afraid. Folken was about to do something horrible. He could sense it.  
  
"I warned you," Folken said quietly. "I warned you, and you disobeyed me."  
  
"F..Folken…." Dirandau managed to stammer out. His heart beat loudly. And, he got the feeling that everyone was still staring at them.  
  
.  
  
Folken wrapped his arms around Dirandau, and held him tightly. He then did something totally unexpected…he kissed him.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
It was an appalling experience to endure. Dirandau struggled as well as he could, but Folken was too strong. When Folken finally let him go, Dirandau staggered backwards, and fell down to the floor. He felt ill, degraded, and miserable…exactly as Folken had meant him to feel.  
  
.  
  
"I take it you didn't enjoy that?"  
  
Dirandau stared up at him with hollow eyes. The wretched captain seemed to be trying to crawl away into the back of his head.  
  
"If I were you, I'd keep this in mind the next time I tried to defy orders," Folken said.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau sat up to his knees, clutching his arms round his stomach. He felt violently ill.  
  
Rrr….that bastard! This was beyond annoyance or sabotage. This was just plain revolting.  
  
.  
  
Folken kneeled down next to Dirandau. His voice became quieter, gentler. He did not really hate Dirandau. He simply wanted the boy to gain the knowledge necessary to live among other people.  
  
"I'd also keep this in mind the next time you decide to degrade one of your men by screaming at them or hitting them. I'd wager they often feel just as you do now."  
  
He stood back up.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau stared at Folken's boot, the only thing he could see at the moment. He knew he was going to be sick, and he probably wouldn't make it to a lavatory before it was too late. And, Folken was the cause of this.  
  
As with any good soldier, Dirandau was skillful at taking advantage of a situation, no matter how bad it was.  
  
He abandoned himself to this present state of illness, and threw up all over Folken's boots.  
  
.  
  
Folken stared ahead, that blank expression on his face once more. He ordered someone to clean that mess up, and told the rest of them to get back to work.  
  
He pulled Dirandau to his feet, and led him to the infirmary.  
  
{{Oh, thanks much for the reviews!  
  
I'm glad this has been well-received.  
  
.  
  
For this chapter, I just want to say that a few of these things, I really don't think Dirandau would actually do. For example, the 'glomping people in his sleep' thing. This dream was from Dilly's point of view, so my subconscious decided that he should have some of my issues and habits.  
  
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JheregAssassin: Eeehehehe...that'd make for an interesting continuation: The Fanel family at a reunion. ^_^  
  
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Feye: Aww...thankee very much for the long review.  
  
Yeah, only two.  
  
I'm goign to post the next one up very soon. It's done, but it needs to be reviewed by my beta-reader first.  
  
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Atari: Yup, yup. It lost some stuff in the translation here, but it was definitely interesting. [And it wasn't nearly so humorous to actually have to experience all that stuff as Dirandau.]  
  
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AFCAMistress: Umm.....I have absolutely no idea whatsoever what your review has to do with my fic.  
  
And, in my opinion, Dirandau is not Allen's sister. Dirandau is Dirandau, and always will be Dirandau. He's a separate character.   
  
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Tower: Ayee....well, as a trans person, I disagree with you most heartily. A person is whatever gender they feel themselves to be.  
  
I won't say anymore because I get overly sensitive about the subject sometimes, and it would sound like I was attacking you.  
  
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About that forum that I recommended last time..  
  
[I can't remember which story I recommended it in.]  
  
We have an idiot hacker there now. He changed the background to pink, and the title [Which is supposed to be "Fate's Toy"] to something which I'd rather not discuss. I just wanted to state that I am in no way for that title or anything that this idiot does. 


	3. Chapter 3

{{This is going to be very short. I would have put it with the other one, but I preferred that it ended with that kissing scene.  
  
::Cringes from the memory of it.::  
  
There's a big time gap here. The dream fast forwarded without letting me know what happened inbetween last chapter and this, and because of my lack of time, I didn't want to try and figure out any scenes for that.}}  
  
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Time passed on. Dirandau became used to the situation, though he hated it just the same. He and Folken had learned to get along better, and life was becoming normal again. [Fear of another kiss had done wonders for getting Dirandau to obey orders.]  
  
.  
  
However, even though things were getting better. Dirandau was still terribly embarrassed by this whole situation, and didn't want to be around anyone when he could help it.  
  
This set his Dragonslayers to worrying about him. Dirandau didn't do well when left completely alone with his own thoughts. And, he was still unhappy, there was no doubt of that. They could see it in his eyes, which were becoming lackluster and jaded. Lack of control was wearing him down. He seemed dead on his feet, and there was little hope that he'd last much longer at this rate.  
  
.  
  
And then, there was the fact that he had been staying away from them as much as possible. There were weeks at a time where they would be told by some messenger that they were to continue guymelef training, without Dirandau.   
  
This worried them very much. They were his outlet for frustration. He couldn't talk about what he was feeling, and so he acted upon it by smacking them around. Now that he didn't have that....  
  
And Folken probably wasn't doing anything to help him.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
The Dragonslayers had forgiven Gatty. After all, he was only trying to help them, and he hadn't intended to hurt Dirandau.  
  
During their many hours of free time, they discussed what was to be done. Things couldn't go on this way. No one was going to last much longer.  
  
They had to get Dirandau to talk to them. Not as his soldiers, but as...friends.  
  
.  
  
Shesta came up with the bright idea that Gatty should start sending Dirandau more fake messages, at inopportune times. If they could bother him when he was being himself, and not an elitist captain, then they could catch him as he really is. . Dirandau couldn't keep up that militant exterior forever.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau awoke, for no reason whatsoever, late in the night...or early in the morning, depending on one's perspective.  
  
He half-opened his eyes. They ached. Aya, but he did hate waking up in the night for no good reason!  
  
.  
  
There was an odd taste in his mouth...blood? He blinked, and realized that he had clamped his mouth down on Folken's arm so hard that it had broken the skin.  
  
"Iggh..."  
  
He glanced up at Folken, who was still sleeping. Folken had ceased to wake up for injuries or wounds which Dirandau gave him in the middle of the night. There were too many, and Folken would never get to sleep if he continued to do that.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau had become used to waking up in these odd conditions. And since Folken didn't make a big deal of it, Dirandau didn't worry about feeling embarrassed. Just as long as no one else had to see...  
  
He didn't bother to move from where he was. He waited for sleep to come back from him.  
  
.  
  
He looked down at Folken's new bite mark. It was dripping with blood. Dirandau thought about possibly waking him, so that he could go clean and bandage it. But...why bother? It was only Folken, after all.  
  
"Oh, let the old man suffer for it!" he thought.  
  
He smirked. "Maybe he'll lose this arm too...that'd be nice.."  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Gatty snuck out of the Dragonslayers quarters. It was late at night, and so Dirandau-sama would certainly be asleep. Not that he had any real proof of that. He had never been to his Lord's quarters so late, and so he didn't know what Dirandau's sleeping habits were.  
  
.  
  
"Don't worry," Shesta tried to assure him. "Dirandau-sama won't hurt you too much."  
  
His words were not very effective, as they were accompanied by a shaking voice.  
  
They continued on in silence.  
  
Shesta came with him, supposedly for moral support. [Actually, he had come so that there would be someone to run to the infirmary. Doubtless, Dirandau would leave Gatty for dead after this.] He would wait outside in the hall, while Gatty gave the message.   
  
.  
  
They reached the hall.  
  
Gatty bit his lip.  
  
"Well....this is it..." he whispered nervously, as he walked up to the door.  
  
"Good luck," Shesta whispered back.  
  
Luck indeed...luck was something Gatty would need very badly.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau was still half asleep.  
  
His thoughts were an incoherent mess of tangled-up hopes that Folken might get hurt in various ways. Then Dirandau would be rid of him, for at least a little while.  
  
He reached over to Folken's false arm, and looked it over. He wondered what it would take to short-circuit the thing. A happy smile came over his face as he pictured Folken being electrocuted to death.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Gatty opened the door a small amount, slowly, so that there would be no sound.  
  
.  
  
He couldn't help but smile at what he saw. He had never seen his Lord show affection to anyone at all. He'd never seen Dirandau-sama look this way. Dirandau was....adorable.  
  
It was hard to suppress giggling.  
  
.  
  
"He actually seems....happy...." thought Gatty.  
  
Perhaps that was why Dirandau stayed away from them now? Because he had found something he liked better?  
  
Dirandau was awake, that was plain to see. Therefore, he was aware of what he was doing. And, since he was smiling...well...he must be enjoying himself, right?  
  
.  
  
Gatty decided that their plan wasn't necessary. Dirandau would be fine. In fact, he might be better off than he had been in the past. Gatty turned, and began to shut the door.  
  
.  
  
He was not being as careful as he had been, however. Dirandau heard the shuffling of his feet.  
  
In a groggy voice, he called out, "Who's there?"  
  
Reluctantly, Gatty walked back into the room.  
  
"Gatty, sir," he replied.  
  
"Oh…."  
  
Dirandau didn't seem angry. He didn't even seem to understand the question he had asked.   
  
This confused Gatty. He'd never seen Dirandau-sama act like this before.  
  
"Are…are you alright, sir?" he inquired.  
  
Dirandau said something completely incoherent. It sounded like a different language.  
  
.  
  
Gatty walked over to the side of the bed, to be able to hear Dirandau better.  
  
"….sir…?"  
  
"Hmm….?"  
  
Dirandau stared at him with one eye open.  
  
"Uh…sir? Is there anything-"  
  
"rrrrrrRRRrrr…."  
  
Dirandau growled, and reached out to smack Gatty. He then shut his eyes again, and seemed to be dozing off.  
  
.  
  
Gatty decided to leave. Dirandau was completely out of it, and he probably wouldn't even remember this encounter.  
  
"I'll escape punishment this time," thought Gatty. He smiled happily, and started towards the door.  
  
.  
  
The sound of feet moving on the floor again awoke Dirandau once more. He searched the darkness, and his eyes came to rest upon Gatty.  
  
"Gatty…" he hissed. It was as though the name had gone through some kind of metal grater.  
  
.  
  
Thinking that perhaps Dirandau was just talking in his sleep again, Gatty continued on his way.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau's eyes narrowed. Such disrespect!  
  
"Damn you, Gatty! What the fuck do you think you're doing here?? Didn't I tell you never to come in here again?"  
  
Gatty turned on his heels. Was Dirandau still asleep?  
  
"I..uh…" he stammered out. He didn't know what he should say.  
  
.  
  
Suddenly, the conditions of this situation arranged themselves properly in Dirandau's head. Gatty had seen him like that with Folken. He hadn't wanted anyone, especially one of his Dragonslayers, to see what he has to come home to everynight.  
  
For a moment, the only thing that came to his head was incoherent swearing. How dare that little usurper! And..and Gatty was probably off to tell the others about this, too. Gatty was trying to destroy the good image that they had of him. He was absolutely certain of that.  
  
.  
  
"Just because you think that you're in charge doesn't mean you don't have to answer to me. Now…what are you doing here?"  
  
"I…I..wanted…had..to give you…this message…" Gatty said, tripping over his words. He held out the message for Dirandau to take. Dirandau made no move to take it.  
  
"This…early….in…the…morning?"  
  
Gatty nodded.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau didn't know if Gatty was lying, or what his true intent was. All he knew what that now one of his men had seen him in this rather embarrassing circumstance. And, worst of all, it had been Gatty, whom he grew more and more to distrust every day.  
  
All the hurt and anger he had saved up throughout this horrible ordeal flooded over him.  
  
"You idiot!!!!"  
  
He tried to get up, and go after Gatty, but he couldn't move.  
  
.  
  
All the yelling had awoken Folken. He wasn't about to let Dirandau massacre somebody…especially in the middle of the night.  
  
Dirandau tried to break free, but this only caused Folken to hold him tighter.  
  
"You're being rash. You should stop and think about this first," Folken stated calmly. His arm burned from the wound, but he was too tired yet to feel it.  
  
.  
  
"Let me go!!!" Dirandau screamed, as he struggled to break free.  
  
Folken replied with a simple, "No," and the two struggled more with eachother.  
  
.  
  
"Gatty, you'd better leave now. Let me take care of this," Folken said. Gatty bowed, said a quick "Yes, sir," and headed for the door.  
  
.  
  
"Damn you, stay where you are!" yelled Dirandau. He jabbed Folken in the stomach, and managed to break away. He jumped off the bed, and started running. Folken was quick, though. He ran after Dirandau, and pulled him back to restrain him.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau was always quick to obsess about killing someone, and it used to seem as if every time he turned around, he had found a new enemy to hunt down. Folken had grown skillful at restraining him without hurting him.  
  
However, that was when he was in his uniform. Those things were strong and thick. They had to be, to take all the damage of war. They also made a person seem larger than they really were.  
  
.  
  
Folken, in his weariness, had forgotten to adjust his grip for the lack of padding and protection. He had his arms wrapped around Dirandau's chest…a little too tightly. Dirandau screamed about how much Folken was hurting him, but Folken thought that this was only a ruse, to get Folken to let him go. Folken continued with that belief until he heard a snapping noise, which just happened to be some of Dirandau's ribs cracking.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
Nothing could describe the pain Dirandau felt. He had never had any broken bones before, and the pain was so strong……  
  
He collapsed in Folken's arms. He didn't speak. He didn't move. Any movement required him to breath…and that would be unbearable.  
  
.  
  
Folken laid him gently on the bed.  
  
"I'm going down to the infirmary. You stay here and watch over him."  
  
Gatty nodded, and sat down on the bed next to Dirandau.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau rolled his head to the side, and stared at Gatty.  
  
"Gatty…come here…." he said, in a long, drawn out fashion.  
  
Reluctantly, Gatty moved closer.  
  
"Yes, sir?" he asked.  
  
.  
  
Dirandau smacked him across the face.  
  
"Idiot." 


End file.
